The Meaning of Job 20:11 Explained

Job 20:11

KJV: His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

YLT: His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

Darby: His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.

ASV: His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His bones  are full  [of the sin] of his youth,  which shall lie down  with him in the dust. 

What does Job 20:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 20:1-29 - "the Triumphing Of The Wicked"
Zophar is the man who least of all understood Job. The rebuke which Job had just administered, Job 19:28-29, has vexed him, so that he speaks with impatience.
The theme of Zophar's speech is the brevity of the prosperity of the wicked. He claims that this is an acknowledged principle, Job 20:4; then proceeds to show it by many striking metaphors.
Hypocrite, Job 20:5, is "godless" in the r.v.; and in describing the prosperity and speedy destruction of such, Job 20:5-11, he manifestly applies his words to Job. He refuses to pay any heed to Job's protestations of innocence. His theology was: God is righteous; he blesses and prospers the good, and destroys the wicked. Job was being destroyed; therefore Job was wicked. Thus often do we in our ignorance misunderstand God and cruelly misjudge man.
Zophar descends to more particulars. He describes the pleasure which the ungodly has in sin, Job 20:12-13; how his sin becomes his punishment, Job 20:14-22; and how terrible destruction at last visits him, Job 20:23-28, as his portion from God, Job 20:29. Though in all this Zophar was wrong in applying it to Job's case, and equally wrong in supposing that this life is the place of judgment for the wicked, yet it is important to remember that he was right in seeing a very real connection between sin and punishment. However sweet sin may be to the taste, it is sure to become bitter as the gall of asps ere long. The "pleasures of sin" are but for a season. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 20

1  Zophar shows the state and portion of the wicked

What do the individual words in Job 20:11 mean?

His bones are full - of his youthful vigor but with him in the dust it will lie down
עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו מָלְא֣וּ [עלומו] (עֲלוּמָ֑יו) וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ עַל־ עָפָ֥ר תִּשְׁכָּֽב

עַ֭צְמוֹתָיו  His  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
מָלְא֣וּ  are  full 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
[עלומו]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
(עֲלוּמָ֑יו)  of  his  youthful  vigor 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲלוּמִים  
Sense: youth, youthful, vigour.
וְ֝עִמּ֗וֹ  but  with  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
עָפָ֥ר  the  dust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
תִּשְׁכָּֽב  it  will  lie  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.